By Philip Yong
So, the day has arrived. The day we’ve all been patiently waiting for. Yes it is finally here!
This was the day all Malaysians regardless of race stood up together to shout ‘MERDEKA, MERDEKA, MERDEKA!’ from the bottom of their hearts. Even just by imagining the atmosphere at that moment, I can feel the joy. But today, I no longer have that feeling.
Tomorrow (31st August 2010) is our country’s 53rd National Day. Wow, we’ve got our independence for 53 years already, how amazing can that be? But you know what? I don’t feel a thing. I don’t feel proud to be a Malaysian at all. Well, if you’ve been catching up with the tabloids lately, you would know what I mean. 53 years is not very long but still a substantial number. Why are we the citizens of Malaysia not united? Our National Day is tomorrow but there are still people out there fighting and screaming ridiculously accusing others of demeaning their race. Why after 53 years we still can’t be united? Why do we have to fill in forms asking for our race? Why isn’t there an option for ‘Malaysian’ in those forms? Yes I am Chinese but I want to be known as a Malaysian, is that wrong?
Independence? Even now I am writing this in fear of being caught by the officials for inciting hate or perhaps sedition. I’ve read about so many people being caught for speaking against the government. Well, is that wrong? Don’t we the rakyat, have the right to speak? I believe we are supposed to be a democratic country. But it seems to me that I don’t get to decide what I want for myself and my country. It seems like we’re being dictated. Well, I think I better not go on further as I do not want to celebrate our National Day in the cell.
I want change. I do not care who or which party is in charge of the government. All I want is change. I am sick and tired of everything negative going on. I think if today I meet a foreigner, I will be reluctant to address myself as a Malaysian because of all the bad press that have been going on for quite some time. And I do not blame the foreigners for having such a negative image of our country. It is our leaders fault or so to speak. But as a Malaysian, I will not sit here quiet awaiting for a better tomorrow. I will stand up along with many other Malaysians who share my thoughts. Which I believe is in the thousands if not millions. We will fight for a better tomorrow, through over powerful voices. We’ve stayed quiet for far too long. 53 years, like I said is a substantial number.
I love Malaysia. I really do. That is why I am speaking up. I remember a couple of months ago, I attended the Badminton Thomas Cup quarter finals between Malaysia and Denmark. Everybody in the stadium was shouting and screaming in support of the Malaysian team. That is the real 1Malaysia we should advocate. It was one of the very few moments I felt so proud to be a Malaysian. Till today I still remember how everyone regardless of their race was so united and I honestly miss that moment.
So in simple word, my wish for this year’s Merdeka is for the nation to be united as one. I am sure we can and we will achieve that. Whichever coalition whether it is the Barisan National or Pakatan Rakyat, as long as they advocate that then you have my support as well as many other Malaysians support. Remember it is the rakyat that build the country and not the other way around.
HAPPY MERDEKA!
#1 by sheriff singh on Monday, 30 August 2010 - 10:05 pm
Is Najib Malaysian First, Malay Second?
#2 by tai kormeng on Monday, 30 August 2010 - 10:21 pm
I too am a Chinese but I address myself as Malaysian first, Chinese second.
#3 by cseng on Monday, 30 August 2010 - 10:59 pm
I am Chinese but I want to be known as MALAYSIAN!, me too!.
But, if Mahathir or Najib says and does this “I don’t know if I am a Malay or other, But I want to be known as Malaysian!”. Many would hang the national flags all over their house and found the reason to celebrate.
The balls are under their belly?
#4 by Bunch of Suckers on Monday, 30 August 2010 - 11:02 pm
My Dear Philip Yong, we all want to be Malaysian, a proud Malaysian! Malaysians can strike hard & further together without any racial discriminations! It was “WE” got independence from Britain.
BUT, a big BUT, UMNO/BN does not want to be equal Malaysian. We are Malaysian just by name without any merits and equalities! UMNO uses Bumiputra, from the earlier days, to present day Ketuan Malay as to discriminate you from NEP, Civil Service job pools, admission into local Universities and etc etc…
UMNO practises lies all times by calling you Malaysian; but not Ketuan Malay and Bumipurta… They suck you off all times…
#5 by good coolie on Monday, 30 August 2010 - 11:31 pm
UMNO has cheated us. UMNO has cheated Tungku, Tan Siew Sin and Sambanthan.
#6 by a-malaysian on Monday, 30 August 2010 - 11:56 pm
Once a year we are told that we are all Malaysians, we must be patriotic and fly our national flag to celebrate Merdeka day. The rest of the days in the year, I am malay first, you are pendatang, beggars or prostitutes with racist slurs coming from the leaders and media every other days.
Merdeka day is the only day where we are all recognised as Malaysians, so enjoy with the 24 hours that you have to be a Malaysian.
Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!
GE 13 – Change The Federal Government No matter what, we must ensure that racist umno bn do not regain the power like they had for over the past fifty three years.
#7 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 12:06 am
Very funny, everyone wants 2 b Malaysian
Ever wonders Y after 53 years since independence of Malaya d UmnoB/BN gomen still insists rakyat isikan RACE M/C/I/Others?
Y UmnoB/BN gomen is still using terms like Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians, n not Chinese or Indian Malaysians?
Many nonMalays born in 1957 n who r married with kids, where r your kids now?
R they with U?
R your families fragmented? U here, kids in Sg, UK, USA, Australia, NZ, China, India, etc?
Sad right? At d age of 53, U may b migrating 2 another country 2 b with your kids
Say bye, bye 2 dis getting fr bad 2 worse racist nation
UNLESS d wind of change materialises in d next GE, out goes UmnoB/BN
#8 by cintanegara on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 12:45 am
Anybody can declare anything about something…but the fact is our actions always show otherwise. Are we a true Malaysian or being a true hypocrite? Faking sincerity & appeal to be a natural bias ~ in favour of our own kind.
#9 by wanderer on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 1:36 am
cintanegara…you are a second Malaysian just like me. I am a proud Chinese but, a Malaysian. So rootless man,
is there a malay race?
#10 by johnnypok on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 5:41 am
I would like to see an Indian or a Chinese PM.
I would like to see that AP and NEP are abolished.
I would like to see that all the corrupt leaders are executed by firing-squad (hired from China).
#11 by wanderer on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 8:34 am
“I was born a wanderer, I was born to roam, Malaysia is a sad story that did’nt make me feel at home”
#12 by undertaker888 on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 9:06 am
people of all races in this country can be proud again when we take back this country from the current evil regime.
#13 by k1980 on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 9:19 am
Perkosa says: You are Chinese and you will always be called PENDATANG. So WHY the F#CK did you vote for bn all these years
#14 by PoliticoKat on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 9:25 am
Dear Mr Philip Yong,
I must regretfully inform you that the chances of you, a mere Chinese being accepted as a Malaysian in the next 20 yrs is very slim.
I am a Peranakan. My family has been in this part of the world for over 20 generations. I even have a great grand mother who was a Malay. Yet I have been personally called a Pendatang to my face!
What you must realize is that the NEP and its bag of lies have been repeated for nearly 3 generations. And a lie if repeated often enough can become the truth. And this “truth” has become ingrained into Malay culture.
They sincerely believe all chineses are rich, hate children (cause their families are small), amoral (cause they all have sex before marriage), and are parasites to the nation (as the non-malay’s only contribution to malaysian independence is to join the communist party and attack the malayan government). That is their truth, and we have o change that.
My advice to you, to all of us is to be careful. We are here to save the country, but we must act and think like firefighters. You do not want to die in a collapsed burning building.
#15 by k1980 on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 11:01 am
//cause they all have sex before marriage//
Then where have all those abandoned new-born babies found in dustbins come from? I remembered in the 1990s a tudonged unmarried female student on scholarship to the US was caught throwing her new-born baby into the toilet. Don’t tell me didn’t have sex before marriage and that her baby was the result of immaculate conception
#16 by PoliticoKat on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 - 2:16 pm
//I remembered in the 1990s a tudonged unmarried female student on scholarship to the US was caught throwing her new-born baby into the toilet.//
Ironic is it not? It continues to be true. Only now it is hush hush.
My conversation with my Malay friends has brought up such schism in their world views. As an example, my Malay friends in conversation have state that all chinese are rich.
Am I rich? I ask. No they reply, they do the same work I do. So presumely get the same pay I do. Do you know any chinese person who is rich? No, again they answer.
Yet they will not be persuaded. I am the abnormally. And they then argue that the chinese on average are rich. They just haven’t met the rich ones yet.
The average Malay has very little understand of the world realities and hardships that affect the non-malays in Malaysia. THey don’t even comprehend our economic realities.
Take family size for example.
The main reason why the non-malay family sizes are small is because we can’ t afford larger families. To give our children a fighting chance, we need to concentrate all our resources (ie money) on a few. Anybody would know that.
Yet I have had to defend my one sibling and small family against arguments that chinese hate children. “Chinese hate children so they have small families.”
Absurd! Yet can you imagine the environment that would produce people who would believe that? These people are our fellow countrymen, yet they are disconnected from world I live in.
This is the Malaysia we live in.